Pras Explains “Bar Mitzfa” Track And “Frustration” About Fugees’ Tour Date Cancellations
Pras is setting the record straight. The musician detailed his side of the story after Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Fugees abruptly canceled the North American leg of their reunion tour earlier this month and just days before showtime. The planned shows for Europe are still confirmed. Following the news, he released the song “Bar Mitzfa” which many listeners interpreted as a diss against the group’s leading lady.
“I love Lauryn,” the 51-year-old told Vulture‘s Shamira Ibrahim. “She’s like a little sister, we could not beef at all. Everyone’s frustration has been building up. This is not something that just happened overnight. My frustration was for the fans.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, he detailed the meaning behind his song where he rhymes, “Don’t blame me, blame her, she made the mess/ Not another f**king penny, is what I told ‘Clef/ Trotting the globe with the bros, playing dominoes.”
“I want to preface this by saying it’s not a diss track,” he explained. “You’re family, you have internal disagreements, but it’s not going to be on a level where I’m dissing her — that doesn’t make any sense. Artistically speaking, sometimes we say things because that’s how we express ourselves. This track is me speaking my truth. When I was writing the record, those lines just came out.”
As for the tour’s partial cancellation, Pras expressed his own, shocked reaction to the journey ending before it began.
“I was both surprised and not surprised. Last year, there were supposed to be 20 shows, and we did ten,” he said. “They were all sold out, but ten extra shows needed to be done that she canceled. Now you put shows on sale this year, and people are like, How do we know this is not gonna be canceled? The fans are saying, ‘It’s summertime, school’s about to come, I gotta buy supplies for my kids, there’s inflation.’ There’s so much you have to coordinate in your life. To go through that process for her to turn around and say, ‘Oops, canceled.’ …”
After news about the cancellation, Hill released a statement. “Performing for my fans is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time,” she explained. “Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform that I am.”
More from VIBE.com
